Blueberry-Pearl French Macarons
 
Yield: 45 sandwich cookies • Preparation: 5 hours • Bake: 17 to 18 minutes • Cool: 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1¼ cups toasted slivered almonds
  • 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 recipe Lemon-Mascarpone Filling (recipe follows)
  • 1 bottle pearl food-color spray, such as Wilton Color Mist
  • 1½ cups blueberries
Instructions
  1. Place egg whites in a medium mixing bowl, and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for exactly 3 hours. (Aging the egg whites in this manner is essential to creating the perfect macaron.)
  2. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a pencil, draw 1¼-inch circles 2 inches apart on parchment paper. Turn parchment paper over. Set aside.
  3. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine almonds and 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, pulsing until very finely ground. (Don’t overprocess, or you will create a nut butter. Nut particles should stay separate and dry, and not clump together.) Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, and process just until combined. Set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites at medium-high speed with a mixer until frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. (Egg whites will be thick, creamy, and shiny.) Add almond mixture to egg whites, folding until well combined. Let batter stand for 15 minutes.
  5. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (Wilton #12). Pipe batter onto drawn circles on prepared baking sheets. Slam baking sheets vigorously on countertop 5 to 7 times to release air bubbles. Let stand at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes before baking to help develop the macaron’s signature crisp exterior when baked. (Macarons should feel dry to the touch and should not stick to finger.)
  6. Preheat oven to 275°.
  7. Bake until firm to the touch, approximately 17 minutes, being careful not to let macarons brown. Let cool completely on pans.
  8. Spray rounded side of macarons with pearlized spray, if desired. Let dry.
  9. Place Lemon-Mascarpone Filling in a piping bag fitted with a large open-star tip (Wilton #1M). Pipe a decorative rosette each onto flat sides of 45 macarons. Place remaining macarons each at a 45-degree angle with rounded tops up, and prop onto filling. Referring to photo, lightly press a blueberry into the filling of each macaron.
Notes
Make-ahead tip: Macarons can be baked a few days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap in groups of 4 or 5, placed in an airtight container, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to fill. Assemble earlier in the day, and refrigerate in a covered container until serving time.

Kitchen tip: Egg whites can be aged (allowed to sit on counter for 3 hours) a day in advance and refrigerated in a covered container.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://teatimemagazine.com/blueberry-pearl-french-macarons-recipe/